The act of censorship has run rampant since the dawn of time. When we see something that we don't like, we will go out of our way to make sure that others can't see it either, regardless of their feelings on the matter. This act rings true in the realm of literature with the ever increasing list of challenged and banned books. These are books that have had their content formally challenged by members of the public in order to have them removed from libraries and removed from school curriculum. Books are challenged on a daily basis and some may surprised that these are books that we hold close ourselves, some of our favorites. Here is a list of 7 popular books that were challenged due to "disturbing" content.
1. The Absolutely True Diary by Sherman Alexie
Alexie's novel is a young adult novel that tells the story of a native American teenage boy. This novel has been challenged for years and was at one point given the official label of being "banned". A recent challenge that this book faced came in 2015 when a woman complained that the book contained "bestiality and is pornographic". Having read this book myself, I'd like to say that I found no evidence of this claim. It's a great novel that should be read by all.
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
In this book, readers learn the story of a 15-year old boy who investigates the death of a neighbors dog in order to clear his name from accusations. In 2015, this novel was removed from a Florida school's required summer reading list due to content that was claimed to be profane and included references to atheism.
3. Looking for Alaska by John Green
This novel from the ever popular John Green was challenged in2015 by a New Jersey school system because of it's "sexual content". However the book was retained and can still be found on the shelves at the middle school. I have read this one as well and can honestly say that its a book filled with lessons that most any young adults can connect.
4. Crank Trilogy by Ellen Hopkins
This iconic series by Ellen Hopkins was removed from a California middle school in 2015 after a complaint about the books contents referencing to sex, violence, and addictions. This set of books have been under scrutiny since their creation. In these texts, Hopkins tells her daughter's story of addiction. It is mature content but valuable none the less.
5. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
An ever popular collection of short stories that tell about an American platoon of soldiers in the Vietnam War was challenged in a Texas school system in 2015. The challenger called the book "vulgar and filled with sexual content and profanity". I've seen this book taught successfully in the secondary classroom to the enjoyment and appreciation of all of the students.
6. Beloved by Toni Morrison
Morrison's novel has been challenged many times across the country but one challenge of note came in 2015 from a Virginia school system because "the book includes scenes of violent sex, including a gang rape, and was too graphic and extreme for teenagers." The controversy over the novel grew so that the legislation called for the Virginia Board of Education to create a policy that requires teachers to inform parents of a texts content.
7. The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
This popular Appalachian novel was suspended by a Pennsylvania school system for "racist and sexually explicit content". Walls memoir is widely taught in our own region of Appalachia and is held in a place of esteem.
All information gathered for this article was attained from the American Library Association. If you're interested in learning more about the challenging of books and even banned books themselves, consult the American Library Association's webpage.
